Qucken database update - server or datafile priority?

U2G

Is the update happening on a pull basis when you start the program?
Or are the updates being done on server end and downloaded to the program?

In other words, does Quicken update your accounts automatically and download them to the program when you sync, or does it wait for you to update them via starting the program, then uploads the data to its servers?

NotACPA

You have several options re: downloading transactions into Q.

1) You can manually start a download by clicking TOOLS, One Step Update, OR

2) You can manually start a download into a single account by going to that account register and clicking the GEAR icon that's to the far right of the account name and then clicking Update now, OR

3) You can set your updates to start automatically when you open Quicken.  Click EDIT, Preferences, Startup, "Download Transactions when Quicken Starts", OR

4) You can set Q do automatically download automatically on certain days and at a certain time of day (providing, of course, that your computer is running and that you DON"T have a File Password set).

I use option 4, which I have set to run 6 days a week (excluding Sundays) at 7am. Few, if any, financial institutions post on Saturday nights ... so there's nothing to download on Sunday mornings.  And 7am is late enough in the day that the prior day's activity will almost certainly be posted by then ... unless you're downloading via Express Web Connect when there's usually a 1 day delay in the downloads.

NotACPA

AAHHH, I forgot that for many banks/cards/etc there's also the "Web Connect" option, where you initiate the download from the financial institution's website and then import that into Q.

Ps56k2

Just to add ....

All of your data is stored locally in the Quicken QDF file on your computer.
As mentioned above, there are several ways that file can be "updated" with transactions that are downloaded... either manually, automatically, or semi-automatically -

Next - you have the option to enable the Quicken Cloud feature - and specify which accounts are reflected in the Quicken Cloud for access via the Quicken Mobile App or with a browser to Quicken on the Web..... or - you can not use that feature at all -

U2G

Thank you. In other words, there's no way to sync two desktops over server. That's what I was trying to understand.

Chris_QPW

> @U2G said:
> Thank you. In other words, there's no way to sync two desktops over server. That's what I was trying to understand.

You are correct, you can't sync two Desktop data files.

U2G

Well, I decided to ask for a refund. Not just because of that issue (although this inability to sync between two devices using cloud server data is kind of surprising in 2020), but mainly because Quicken failed to connect to two of my important accounts - the state 529 plan managed by TIA-CREF, and the investment part of my BoA HSA plan. The 529 sync is simply not availble, and the HSA investment can only sync as a zero-cash account.

Both plans are synced with and updated in Mint.

So going with Quciken, I would actually end up paying $50 per year for less functionality - I want to minimize the need for manual entry of records, not increase it. If this was just cash transactions, I would have no problem manually loading them every now and then, but there's little value in showing an investment account without up to date quotes, and I am certainly not updating every security manually.

So, thank you all for help, I requested a refund and will continue looking for a better way to do this...

Chris_QPW

@U2G Good luck, Quicken isn't always the best solution for everyone, I hope you find something that works for you. Take care.